Potent Pinot Noirs From Elkton Oregon AVA
Finding truly superb values among the hundreds of tiny wineries in Oregon often leads to out of the way locations. Here's one of the out of the way-est: the Elkton Oregon sub-AVA.
Established in 2013 in and around the town of the same name the Elkton Oregon AVA encompasses 74,900 acres at the northwestern edge of the larger Umpqua Valley AVA. Just five wineries are actually located within the AVA, the best-known being Brandborg and the one profiled here – River's Edge.
River's Edge was founded when Mike and Vonnie andt purchased the Black Oak and Elkton vineyards in 1996. The vineyards themselves date back to the earlly 1970s. The River's Edge winery opened in 2000. As I wrote when reviewing the 2017 releases "the lineup of Pinot Noirs, taken all together, may well represent the finest value Pinot portfolio in the state. With prices in the low-to-high $20s, they offer estate-grown, old vine, and single vineyard expressions from this off-the-radar AVA."
Mike Landt says he is now "semi-retired" and has handed off the winemaking since 2017 to Tyler Bradley. Tyler grew up in Elkton and my sense is that he is picking earlier, cutting back on new oak and adding a bit of restraint to the red wines. These are all good choices when giving Pinot Noir its best opportunity to express its natural elegance. This is not to say these wines are shy in any way – just flat out delicious. The website also lists a number of intriguing white wines from newer vintages which I have not (yet) had the opportunity to try.
https://www.riversedgewinery.com/store
River’s Edge 2018 Elkton Cuvée Pinot Noir
This is lovely to look at with lightly burnished sunset hues and lush aromas of strawberry scones, cherry pie and toasted cracker. It's a blend of fruit from estate vineyards first planted in 1973. In brief, an excellent value and a wine to drink with pleasure at the soonest opportunity.
246 cases; 14.3%; $22 (Elkton Oregon) 91/100
River’s Edge 2018 Barrel Select Pinot Noir
The barrel select is sourced from several Elkton sites and blends old vine Wadenswil and Pommard with newer Dijon 115 and 777 clones. In recent vintages River's Edge has pulled back on both new oak and finished alcohol and for me that makes the wines better and more ageworthy than ever. This is a balanced mix of strawberry, raspberry and pomegranate with a pleasing amount of toasty barrel highlights. There is no need to decant; it's delicious right out of the bottle. These wines are finished with a screwcap which makes it easy to pour a glass and quickly seal them back up for a second or third day.
398 cases; 13.2%; $26 (Elkton Oregon) 92/100
River’s Edge 2018 Black Oak Vineyard Pinot Noir
This is a four barrel selection from an estate vineyard planted in the early 1970s, all Wadenswil clone. It’s toasty and granular, with bold flavors of black cherry, coffee grounds, underbrush and smoked wood. Maybe the most full-bodied, upfront, toasty and tasty wine of the whole 2018 portfolio, this is the rare Pinot Noir that begs for barbeque.
96 cases; 14.8%; $32 (Elkton Oregon) 92/100
River’s Edge 2017 Elkton Vineyard Pinot Noir
One of two single vineyard reserve-level wines from the estate, this is a precision wine with complex aromas of truffle and roses, beguiling flavors of mountain strawberries and pie cherries, with a light touch of chocolate from the barrel aging. The old vine accents add depth and detail through the lingering finish, with tea and tobacco and lemon rind and more. This is a thrilling wine that compares favorably to Oregon Pinots at triple the price.
94 cases; 14.9%; $28 Elkton Oregon 93/100